Sudan - Arrest of UN mission personnel - Statement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs

Table des matières

Paris,23 June 2011

France firmly condemns the arbitrary arrest of UNMIS personnel. It calls on the Sudanese government to immediately release them, pending official notification of the charges that may be brought against them. France strongly condemns any attempt to intimidate UN personnel. It urges Sudan to fully respect the mandate of UNMIS, notably as defined in UNSCR 1590, and to facilitate its mission in the interests of peace and the civilian populations.

France urges all parties to demonstrate the utmost restraint and to undertake all measures likely to promote the restoration of trust. In this difficult period, there should be no obstructions to the work of UNMIS, whose action is essential in assisting the civilian populations affected by the clashes, while there are troubling reports of attacks targeting certain groups based on their ethnicity or their political affiliation. France strongly condemns any such attacks. It encourages the parties to sign an agreement imposing a ceasefire in South Kordofan as swiftly as possible and to allow free and unimpeded access to all populations by humanitarian actors.